Broken
by Rocka.NGW
Summary: He had never seen her before… she was definitely from out of town. There was something about her that was different, and dangerous… and saddening. He wanted to peel back those layers, one by one, to find what burned beneath the surface… But will Ichigo be able to stand the fire? AU, Suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** The first scene is loosely based off of one tiny scene from the book **The Taker**, by **Alma Katsu**. But the rest of the story is by my original genius.

*****Everyone should read this book, it's absolutely fantastic. Alma Katsu really knows how to write a tear jerker!*****

**Description:** He had never seen her before… she was definitely from out of town. There was something about her that was different, and dangerous… and saddening. He wanted to peel back those layers, one by one, to find what burned beneath the surface… But will Ichigo be able to stand the fire?

**Warning:** This story is sad, and has _many_ suggestive themes!

**Pairing:** Ichigo/Orihime, Orihime/Aizen

**Disclaimer:** I do own Bleach, but we're talking about two different brands here. I don't own **The Taker**, that wonderful book belongs to Alma!

* * *

_Orihime's eyes rapidly scanned the map. She needed to leave and fast. He would surely know that she was gone by now. _

"_Excuse me, sir. Which train is leaving now?"_

_The station clerk looked up from his computer. "The train to Tokyo is leaving at 10:30 pm. The train to Kyoto is leaving around 12."_

Tokyo was big. He'd never find her there. Right?

"_Can I have one ticket to Tokyo, please?"_

"_One way or round trip?"_

"_One way, please."_

_The station clerk typed quickly on his keyboard. "That'll be two hundred yen, please."_

_Orihime slid the bill under the glass as he exchanged it for the ticket._

"_Thank you…" Orihime sat on the bench by the counter. She pulled out her wallet and counted her money. There wasn't a lot, but just enough to get her the hell out of there._

_Orihime snuggled down in her chair and closed her eyes. She took her first breath since leaving the god forsaken place._

_She was going to be free. In about ten minutes, tops, she was going to be a free woman._

_Then, suddenly, a thick, pale, firm hand came around her forearm and lifted her up. "Come with me, quietly. And try not to make a scene, woman."_

_Orihime whimpered at the tightness of his grip, but didn't say at word, for she knew better. Orihime was tugged out the station by Ulquiorra and thrown into the back of a car._

_Orihime's heart raced. She banged on the door and window, and tried to leave the moving vehicle. "Please! Don't send me back there! Ple-"_

"Orihime_."_

_She slowly sat down in her seat correctly and turned to the voice._

_The man unhurriedly slid off his gray jacket._

"_Aizen..." her lips trembled as she watched him remove his solid gold ring. "I'm sor-"_

_She could barely get her words out before he struck her hard across the face._

"_Where the hell did you think you were going?" Aizen climbed on top of her and slapped her again and again._

"_I said I was sorry!" Orihime held her cheek as pain seared through the right side of her face._

"_You're mine. Do you hear me?" He hit her again and again until her whole mouth tasted like the metallic and iron mixture of blood. The rage in his voice alone was too painful to hear. Hitting her only made it that much worse. "You'll never leave."_

_Aizen sat back and straightened out his bloodied shirt._

_It felt like hours before she sat up too. The woman still held her face and felt her clear tears mingle with the red blood as they slid down her face._

"_Take us home," Aizen called out to Ulquiorra._

_Orihime bit her swollen lip to keep from whimpering. Aizen hated whimpering. The woman stole a quick peek at the man. His hands fisted and unfisted over and over again. _

_He was debating on whether to hit her again._

_She knew this was only the beginning. She knew that there was more to be done for her insubordination when they got home. _

_Her stomach turned at the thought of that horrid dungeon. The terrible contraptions he placed her in because she was disobedient._

* * *

**One week later.**

* * *

The girl walked through the door and his eyes immediately followed her to her seat.

She set her bag down next to her and cracked open a book.

Ichigo sat up straighter in his seat and watched her intently.

She was beautiful. Her hair had a golden shimmer in the light that reflected through the diner's window. Each bob of her head gave her hair the similarities to a cascading waterfall.

The woman heavily flipped each page, at first, she looked sad, mad even. Then, ever so slowly, a smile on her face spread wider and wider as though something was funnier on each page.

"Ichigo," someone nudged him on the shoulder. "Ichigo, don't you agree?"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked over at his friends who were previously in a heated argument of something or another.

Ichigo's eyes traveled back to the mysterious beauty.

The woman placed a bookmark inside of the book and set it to the side. She then got up and went to the counter.

Ichigo stood up too.

He had to know who she was.

The man walked over to the counter at the exact same time she did.

The woman jumped at his presence. "Oh! Sorry. Were you here?"

"No... no." Ichigo was stunned. The woman was even more beautiful up close. "Uh, you can go first." Ichigo took a step back.

Her gray eyes widened.

The woman suddenly shook her head. "No... I must go." She shot to her table, grabbed her things, dropping something in her wake, and ran out of the diner just as quickly as she came in.

Ichigo crouched on the ground and picked up a book, her book. On the spine, it said _The Taker_ in golden letters.

**...**

Orihime held her bag against her tightly. She hurriedly walked down the sidewalk, avoiding anyone and everyone's eyes.

She was tired and hungry. Everything still hurt, but not as much as before.

Orihime walked across the street and into a random diner. Inside the aroma's coffee and pastries surrounded her like a warm blanket.

Orihime sat down on a soft chair in the corner of the room.

It was a cute diner. Small but cozy. People were walking in empty-handed, and out with full bellies, so she guessed the food was good.

Orihime dug through her bag and found her book, _The Taker_. It was one of those books you could read over and over again, and get the same sad feelings deep down inside every time.

Orihime flipped through until she found her favorite part. It was the part where the protagonist was telling the audience about her love for Jonathan.

Orihime frowned. Love... She'd never understand it. It was such an overrated word. To Orihime, love didn't exist.

Orihime flipped another page and realization crept into her heart.

She was free…

She was free from the manacles of the so called "Love". She had gotten away from him, from everything.

Orihime's stomach grumbled. It was only a matter of time her appetite got the better of her.

The woman placed her bookmark in its rightful place and pushed it aside. Orihime stood and walked to the counter when someone bumped into her.

Orihime jumped. "Oh! Sorry. Were you here?"

Orihime looked him up and down. The first thing she noticed was his striking tangelo colored hair, similar to her own. Then she noticed his height. He was tall… very broad… and powerful. He could throw her over his shoulder in a hot second.

He was also handsome.

"No... no." The tall man stared for what seemed like forever. His amber eyes digging deep into hers. "Uh, you can go first." He took a step back, letting her go before him.

He kept staring at her, like he knew her, or like he wanted to know her.

No one was supposed to know her. No one was supposed to recognize or even memorize her face.

Orihime's heart sped up. She shook her head and looked all around her in panic.

"No... I must go."

Orihime ran to her table and gathered her things as fast as she could.

She didn't look back.

**…**

_Aizen pumped himself into her once more, filled his warm fluid with her for the last time, and fell over on his side._

_Sweat and blood matted both their bodies. Her blood._

_Aizen's hair clung to his neck in shiny dark curls and Orihime could feel the breeze chill her wet body from the tiny beads of sweat._

_Her arms were still strapped to the bed's headboard by leather harnesses. They were the least of his torture implements._

_Aizen looped a strand of burnt-orange hair over his long fingers in one hand, and rubbed her slick, flat belly with the other. "I don't want to hurt you, Orihime."_

_Orihime struggled to catch her breath. He whole abdomen pang with abuse. "I won't... run away... again..."  
_

"_You said that last time." Aizen slithered back on top of her and grinded himself against her entrance. "How am I to know that you mean it?"_

_Orihime turned her face from his'. She couldn't stand to say the words while looking in his eyes. "Because... I love you..."_

_Aizen's white smiled appeared behind full, soft lips. It was so beautiful yet so wicked._

_He bent down and whispered, "That's a good girl," and thrust himself inside._

**…**

Ichigo waited on the elevator to stop and walked down the empty hallway. He paused in front of his door and looked across the hall at the empty number fifteen apartment. A good friend of his' lived there once.

Ichigo opened his apartment door and immediately slouched down on his couch. The day had been tiring. Not physically, but mentally.

It was that girl... He'd known everyone in town since he was a child. There was no face he'd never seen.

But hers was new. Yet, it was so familiar... So beautiful... So delicate...

Ichigo sat up when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a simple text from his friend Rukia. He hadn't seen her in ages.

_*Done stairs. Where r u?*_

Ichigo quickly texted back, _*B done n a sec,*_ and walked back out.

He made his way back down to the lobby, and as he was walking out, his hand pushing on the glass doors, he saw her again. He saw her long burnt-orange hair that stretched down her back.

It was the same girl. It had to be the same girl.

She was filling out a form and was handed keys. She then walked away, towards the elevator.

And as the doors were closing, she happened to catch his eye.

They stared at each other until the metal doors completely blocked their vision.

**...**

After wandering the city for about eight hours, Orihime decided that she needed a place to stay.

She refused to sleep in the park (although she had to once or twice before). And there weren't any hotels in walking distance.

Orihime couldn't even read her book until she dozed off because she left it at the diner like an idiot.

The woman roamed through the city until she found a small apartment building with a sign that stated: Now Renting.

Orihime pushed the glass doors open and walked through the lobby and to the front desk.

"Hi. I, um, would like to rent a room."

The receptionist looked up from her magazine. "Just fill out these forms for me."

Orihime found a pen in the bottom of her bag and scribbled in anything that seemed feasible.

Orihime was handed the keys and walked over to the elevator. The key had a number fifteen engraved on the surface.

Orihime tucked the key in her bag and looked up.

It was him.

It was the tall man from the diner.

He stood halfway out the glass doors, staring at her.

Orihime stared back as the thick elevator doors slammed shut.

**...**

_Orihime slowly sat up, careful not to move too much, or make too much noise._

_She painfully straddled the sleeping man under her. His face was peaceful and content._

_What a monster._

_Orihime reached for the letter opener and gripped it tight._

_The woman raised the weapon high above his chest, ready to stab at any sign of movement._

You're not a killer.

"_No, shut up. I can do this." She whispered angrily._

Don't be like him. You're better than this.

"_It's the only way..."_

_Orihime lifted the letter opener higher and stabbed it's blade into the pillow inches from Aizen's face._

_Her conscious was right. She wasn't a killer._

_A thief, yes. A whore… maybe. But a killer would never be on the list._

_The woman crawled off the bed and staggered to the ground. If she wanted to leave again, she had to move quickly._

_Orihime threw on an over-sized shirt and slid up a pair of pants. She found a bag in his large closet and threw in some more random cloths and her favorite book._

_The woman tiptoed past the bed. The letter opener reflected off the light from the moon. Impulsively, Orihime walked over and wrapped her hands around the handle. Orihime held her breath. Aizen took a deep breath and turned over._

_Orihime exhaled and ripped the weapon from the pillow._

_Just as quiet as the night, the woman slowly opened and closed the heavy bedroom doors._

* * *

**So I know where I'm going with this story. But I'm a little on the edge about it. I'm so used to angst, but not all of the abusive stuff, so please bare with me here.**

**And if this was hard to read, think about how hard it was to write!**

**Rocka.**

P.S.** Sorry that it took me so long to put up another story, guys. Every time I write I always want to put my best work out there so it might take me a while to post until I think that it's readable.**

P.P.S.** For those who know of it, SD's sequel is coming along fine. Though I am having trouble with timing and there are a few family related situations going on at the moment. I can't promise anything right now, but I'll try not to disappoint.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I'm so sorry guys! The first chapter probably threw you all for a loop! I could just imagine your faces when you read the abusive scenes. I'm so sorry, but that is what makes the story. As I have said before: You don't like, then don't read!

Also, thank you to those who reviewed on the first chapter! I never actually get around to thanking all of you, but I hold every single one of you in a special place in my heart.

**P.S. Guest**, I listen to the song **Face Down**, by **The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**. It was really good and it really captured the essence of the story. I'm glad that at the end of the video, the girl got away.

**Disclaimer: **All rights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

Ichigo stared out of his peephole, waiting.

Finally he heard the faint squeaking of room fifteen's door opening. Ichigo quickly opened his door too.

The woman closed her door behind her, almost knocking into Ichigo.

"Good morning." Ichigo said first.

The woman squeaked and held her bag closer. "…Morning…"

She made to move down the hall but Ichigo stopped her with a tap on her shoulder.

As quick a lightning, the woman jumped back and stumbled against the hallway's wall.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you…" Ichigo took a step closer, but she pushed herself away from him.

"I'm…" Ichigo watched the scared look in her eye. She had probably been attacked before… That would be the only logical reason for her reaction.

"Here…" Ichigo placed a hand out for her to take. After three beats of silence, she finally took it.

"Again, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," she rasped out.

They slowly walked together down the hall.

"I'm Ichigo by the way."

"Huh?"

"I'm Ichigo." He smiled at her. "I figured sense we're neighbors, we should at least know each other's name."

"…I'm… no one…"

"Come on." They stopped in front of the elevator and Ichigo took the opportunity to probe further. Everyone has a name."

The woman pressed the down button and waited in silence. He was hoping that she'd say something but nothing came.

The thick elevator doors gave a tiny ding and opened and she walked through.

Ichigo followed her.

"You know that's not fair." Ichigo knew he shouldn't test her, but he couldn't help himself. He had to know her name. "I told you mine."

"I never asked you for it."

"It's called common courtesy."

"Fine then. My name is Yuki."

Ichigo squinted. "No it isn't."

The elevator opened and they walked out.

"How would you know?"

"Because you don't look like a 'Yuki'. Besides, you're way too good to be a Yuki."

The woman walked out the front door, Ichigo on her every step. "What do you want?"

"I just want to know your name. I'm not asking for anything else."

Her long eye lashes lowered over her large eyes. "… It's… Orihime…"

"Orihime…" Ichigo tried it out on his tongue. "That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you…"

Ichigo, again, placed out his hand for her to take. She still hesitated but gave his hand a shake.

"It was a pleasure to meet you."

Orihime walked out the front door.

**…**

"_Open this God damn door, right now!"_

_Orihime pushed against the corner and wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked._

_His large fist banged against the door, splitting the wood._

_Orihime covered her ears and tried to move back into the corner so more, but there was no more room._

_He was going to break a hole into the door at any moment and when he did, she was in for a whole world of pain._

_The door finally gave way to his vicious hits. He stood in the threshold, anger evident on his features._

_Orihime didn't scream. And even if she wanted to, she would have never been given the chance._

_Aizen's hand came around her neck and lifted her high off the ground. She struggled to peel his fingers off of her throat, to no avail._

"_What have I told you about digging through my stuff?!" He banged her head against the wall roughly. "You took it didn't you!"_

"_I don't know what you're-!"_

_He pushed her head against the wall against, causing the back of her head to bruise._

_Pl-" His hand squeezed tighter completely cutting off her airway._

"_I should kill you." He said smoothly, a calm expression crossed his face yet his gripped didn't get any looser. "I should get this over with and take you out of your misery."_

_Orihime tried to pry his hand off without results. "…Wah-why…. d-d-don't… you?" she finally huffed._

_Aizen smirked. He pulled his hand away and let her fall to the ground in a heap. Orihime groaned and cried out when he yanked her back up by her long burnt-orange hair._

_His lips came up to hers, barely skimming them. "Now where would be the fun in that?"_

**…**

Orihime gently closed the door behind her. It gave off a slight squeaking noise so she hoped no one was awoken.

Orihime was on her way back to the diner. Maybe she left her book on the table or something.

The woman turned around when suddenly her nose bumped slightly on a wall of muscle.

"Good morning," a voice rumbled from over her.

Orihime's voice caught in her throat. She tried to respond but everything seemed clogged. "…Morning…"

Orihime quickly turned on her heels and began to walk down the hall. He was so close, too close. She squeezed her bag tightly. It was time she moved to a different tow. If she stayed too long, connected to strong, it became harder and harder.

Without warning, heavy fingers came down on her shoulders. It was all too familiar feeling.

Like he was behind her…. Like Aizen was slowing creepy his hands up to her neck and blocking all of her air.

Orihime tried to run but she tripped over her own feet and landed against the wall.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you…" He took a step closer, but Orihime pushed herself away from him.

"I'm…" He looked at her up and down outreaching his hand to her. "Here…" Ichigo placed a hand out for her to take.

Orihime stared at it. So many times the same hand that fed her had lashed out at her, sending her back to the same feeble and helpless victim.

But he showed no sign that he want to inflict pain on her. He looked kind, like he was actually sorry.

Orihime took it.

He pulled her up. "Again, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Orihime continued looking down and walked away, but he kept her pace.

"I'm Ichigo by the way."

She looked up at him. "Huh?"

"I'm Ichigo." He smiled down at her. "I figured sense we're neighbors, we should at least know each other's name."

Orihime quickly casted her eyes down and shook her head. "…I'm… no one…" No one could know her.

"Come on. Everyone has a name."

They stopped at the elevator and Orihime pressed the down button and waited in silence, hoping, willing him to leave her alone.

The thick elevator doors gave a tiny ding and opened and she walked through.

Ichigo followed her.

"You know that's not fair." Ichigo rocked on his heels. "I told you mine."

Orihime shook her head again, becoming angry at his persistence. "I never asked you for it."

"It's called common courtesy." he said responded just as quickly.

"Fine…. My name is Yuki."

He squinted down at her, staring intently. "No it isn't."

The elevator opened and they walked out.

Orihime pushed her bag up her shoulder more. "How would you know?"

"Because you don't look like a Yuki. Besides, you're way too good to be a 'Yuki'."

Orihime stopped at the front door. Her hand still on the knob. "What do you want?"

Ichigo lifted his hands in defense. "I just want to know your name. I'm not asking for anything else."

Orihime took a deep breath. Did she really want to do this…?

The woman looked down. "… It's… Orihime…"

"Orihime…" Ichigo thought for a moment. "That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you…"

Ichigo, again, placed out his hand for her to take. She still hesitated but gave his hand a shake.

"It was a pleasure to meet you."

Orihime walked out the front door.

**…**

A full day of looking and nothing! Nada! Zilch! Zero!

Orihime exited the elevator exhaustedly. She needed that book… she just did. It was her safe haven reduced to pages.

Orihime struggled to get her keys out of her bag. She figured that she would leave in a few days, so she had to start packing back up soon. There was no need to get comfortable.

Down the hall, the elevator dinged and out came that man. Ichigo.

Orihime tried to get her keys out faster, fumbling like an idiot.

He was getting closer.

"Crap…" Orihime's heart thumped and she accidently dropped the keys.

He finally approached her. "Do you need help?"

Orihime picked up the keys. "No…" She placed it in the hole and turned it to the right but it wouldn't open.

"You're supposed to turn it to the left..."

Orihime turned it to the left but the damn key was jammed.

"Here… you turn it like… Let me try." Ichigo placed his greater hands over hers.

Orihime stared up at him. He had a strong neck and broad shoulders. She told herself she could never find anyone else in this world appealing, man or woman, but only because her perception was skewed.

But Ichigo's jaw was delectable.

"On three. One… two... three." The door finally creaked and opened.

They let their hands go.

"Um... thanks." Orihime rubbed the back of her head. "I'm really grateful."

Ichigo shrugged. "No prob. Oh, and…" he blushed, "I have something for you."

Ichigo opened his own door with ease. Orihime stood in the hall why he searched his apartment.

"I found… this." Ichigo handed her aquamarine cover book with golden words.

Orihime wrapped her fingers around it. "Where did you find this?" she demanded.

Ichigo looked surprised. He thought she'd be more excited than upset. "You dropped it the other day at the di-"

Orihime shook her head. "Stay away from me."

Ichigo sputtered. "But-I"

"I don't want anything to do with you. And you won't want anything to do with me…"

"But-"

"Everyone who comes near me gets hurt." She shook her head again and tears spilled. "Just stay away!"

Orihime ran to her door and slammed it behind her.

"Thank you, for returning my book…." Ichigo sighed. It was no use.

But that girl… she was hiding something… he had to know.

Yes it was the inquisitive side of him.

And yes, curiosity did kill the cat.

But apathy crippled the dog.

* * *

**So that's chapter two! I added the last part because we all know the Ichigo will go snooping around in something that is none of his business. Only a couple more chapters to go, and since this is a tragedy, nothing good is going to happen to our characters of course.**

**Oh, and I just wanted to thank **LuvleeCookieChan** for being an awesome friend and supporter, word by word.**

**Also to **InoueR0xO**, **XxLollipopZangetsuxX**, **luversblues**, **Xtremefairy**, and last but absolutely not least, **Ermilus**, for being awesome followers and readers!**

**And to everyone else! I love giving thanks and I love to read your reviews! I love writing and I love you guys too! (Hey, that kinda rhymes!)**

**Rocka.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am officially starting **Settle Down's Sequel** on **September 8th**! Everyone keep your eyes peeled!****  
**

**Warning: I think there is a spoiler for the book **The Taker** somewhere in this chapter... And the general abusive scenes.  
**

**Disclaimer: **This is a disclaimer. So I do not own Bleach…

* * *

_He twisted her arm behind her back and watched her scream, and sadistic smile spreading over his face._

"_I'm sorry!"_

"_Louder!"_

"_I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"_

_He leaned forward but didn't release her. "Was that so hard? You hurt my feelings and all I wanted was an apology."_

"_I…" He always made her feel as though things were simple when they never were._

"_Next time, when I ask you something, anything, anything at all. I want a positive answer, with a smile. You got that?"_

_Orihime bit her lip and nodded._

"_I can't hear you." His grip became tighter._

"_Yes!"_

_Aizen let her arm go and pushed her to the ground. In no time, Ulquiorra was behind him._

"_Bathe her and bring her to my rooms later. I want her clean for tonight."_

_Orihime tried to sit up but her arms were sore, so she let them fall to her sides._

_Ulquiorra stepped over her and helped her up the stairs._

**…**

Orihime opened her book and sat down where she left off.

She heard the screeching of a metal chair and looked up.

"Look, I don't know what I did to make you so upset. I thought it was a good thing giving your book back." He sat down.

Orihme stared at the man unbelievingly. "It… It wasn't about the book."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair. "Are you going to tell me what the deal is?"

"Excuse me?"

He quickly sat forward, hoping he didn't offend her. "Look-I'm… Let me buy you lunch."

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

Orihime watched his hand run through his orange spiky hair. "Why don't you tell me what that book is about then?"

The woman looked down at the open pages. "It's about a girl who was… doomed."

"Doomed?"

"She fell in love with the wrong person, and chased after him the rest of her life. In the end, he never wanted her and he died."

Ichigo cocked his head to the side, intrigued. "How did he die?"

"She killed him."

**…**

Orihime giggled some more as they walk off the elevator. Without meaning to, the duo spent the whole afternoon at the diner just talking. It was about nine pm before they realized what happened and the diner was closing.

Ichigo smiled. "You know what I noticed?"

She looked up at him. "What?"

"We spent the whole night talking about me. What about you?" Ichigo looked down at her.

Orihime pushed strand of her hair behind her ear, afraid of where the conversation was going. "What about me?"

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"I'm from nowhere." She responded coolly. They were approaching their rooms.

"You have to be from somewhere. Everyone is from somewhere."

Orihime shook her head. "Nope, not me. I came from the sky."

Ichigo's smile widened. "Like an angel?"

She shook her head again. Her smiled dropped at the corners as she thought for a moment. "… No… More like meteorite. I don't think that I'll ever see heaven."

"And why is that?" They stopped in front of their doors.

Orihime took a deep breath. The things she'd done… She would never see the light of heaven. Not one beam.

"Um… I'm pretty tired." Orihime opened her apartment door.

"Okay… Goodnight, Orihime."

She nodded. "Night."

"Maybe you can finish telling me about that meteorite tomorrow, at the diner. Same time. I wanna know all the places it's been. Everything it's seen."

"Yeah..." Orihime closed the door. "Maybe…."

**…**

Ichigo rounded the corner and stared at the diner from across the street. He could already see Orihime sitting inside, at her usual spot.

But… wait a second… there was a man standing over her, talking down at her.

…Orihime looked frightened.

Ichigo wanted to walk in and pull Orihime away from him, but something told him to stay put.

The pale man stood over her and continued to speak, but Ichigo couldn't make out his words.

Orihime just stared.

He finished whatever he was saying and turned away from her.

She sat for a moment, then suddenly gathered her things and ran out of the diner.

**…**

_Orihime opened her eyes and saw him standing over her, watching her under the bath water._

"_I… need to… get away, again…." Orihime literally begged. But it was a lost cause. She knew that Ulquiorra was never help her escape from Aizen, never._

"_Will you… help… me…? I need to get… away. Please?"_

_Ulquiorra stood over her and didn't say a word._

"_Pl-please?"_

_He looked away._

"_Please?"_

"_You got yourself into this mess. There's no one to blame but you." He walked out and when he did, Hinamori walked in._

_She got on her knees and scrubbed Orihime's sore arm with a sponge. "It's not all bad." Hinamori whispered. "It could be worse."_

"_How?"_

_She shrugged. "You could be dead."_

_Orihime took a raspy breath and looked up at the ceiling. "That would be better. But that would be too good for me… So he'll keep me around and watch me rot…" Orihime closed her eyes again. "I'm leaving."_

"_Again...? You do know what the outcome will be when he catches you again."_

_Orihime winced as the sponge went over a bruise. "I know… I'm hoping he'll kill me, because I can't do it myself."_

**…**

Orihime stared at the half full bag of cloths.

She didn't want to leave, not yet.

The woman left the bedroom in disgust and went to her kitchen. There was absolutely nothing to eat in the tiny room because she knew not to waste money on such things. If she had to, she'd go without eating for a few days just to keep up with the little bit of money that she had.

She would never to be able to be completely free of him, would she?

Orihime grabbed her purse and walked down to the diner.

She went in and sat in her usual place and cracked open her favorite book.

Orihime closed her eyes and smiled. She had never felt this happy in… well… never.

But… she had to leave soon. There was that dumb bag of half filled cloths on her bed… She couldn't stay in one place for so long. He would surely find her.

Orihime felt a coolness loom over her.

"Ichi-"

Orihime could feel the blood rushing from her face.

"Stay put." Ulquiorra placed his hands in his pockets. "We've found you but I'm not here to take you."

"…You're not?"

"Aizen wants to give you a choice. You can come back to him, or he'll go to you."

"Wha-"

"If you decide to come back, meet us at the intersection two miles away, tomorrow night. If not and you decide to keep running, we'll track you down again and again, and he will forcefully bring you back."

"But-"

"If you show or not will determine your fate." Ulquiorra turned his back to her. "And his'."

They…

They know…. They know about Ichigo…

Orihime gulped down as much air as she could. How could they do this to her…? If she didn't show… would they hurt him? Would they… no. Don't think like that.

Orihime stood and grabbed her bag and book off the table and ran home.

**…**

Ichigo ran off the elevator and down the hall. He stood in front of her door and knocked by the wind blew it open.

"Unlocked…" he whispered to himself.

Ichigo slowly walked into the room. It looked basic. Nothing special to it but a sofa in the main room and a few tables and chairs. Other than that, it was empty.

He walked in some more. "Orihi- Gahh!" Ichigo looked down and saw a blood oozing through his shirt and down his arm.

"Ichigo!" Orihime gasped. She dropped the bloodied letter opener. "I'm so sorry!"

Ichigo grunted and grasped his arm.

"I didn't know it was you…" Orihime pulled him into the bedroom and sat him down on the mattress. "Oh, no! Think of something positive!"

Ichigo grunted. "Wanna hear something funny?"

Orihime picked up a rag. "Yes, anything!"

"I just got stabbed… By a woman… A woman who lives across the hall from me… With a letter opener…"

She gave him a laugh but it was very strenuous, and sat down next to him.

Ichigo held his arm and looked around the room. It was just as plain as the living room. There was an open bag with cloths strewn from it.

Ichigo clenched his teeth at the pain. "Where's all your stuff?"

Orihime touched the skin around the gash. "Um… I don't have anything."

"Ugh! But… why?"

Orihime tied the rag around his arm.

"Ahh!"

"I don't need anything… Stuff weighs me down…"

Ichigo held the wound to keep the blood inside.

"Where did you come from?" he demanded.

"Nowhe-"

"Bullshit." Ichigo placed his hand over hers.

Orihime looked him in the eyes. He wanted to know the truth, but she couldn't tell him. "You don't want to know about that about me."

"You don't know that."

She pulled on the rag tighter. "Please, don't do this."

"I want to know." Ichigo pushed her hair out of the way. "Tell me, please. I can help with whatever you're going through."

"But you can't."

"I can." He urged

"You can't!" she pushed his hand away.

"Please…"

Orihime stood up and started to shove the cloths into the bag. "You'll never look at me the same way again…"

"I'll look at you as the same beautiful Orihime. Nothing will change that." Ichigo turned on the bed to face her, and grunted at the pain. "I promise. Just tell me…"

"I…I…" She looked up from the bag with no more excuses. "Fine… But I'll have to start from the beginning…"

* * *

**So the next chapter will be the beginning of Orihime's story, or at least she'll tell us all about it.**

**And all that stuff about being "doomed" in the book Orihime was reading, **The Taker**, all that stuff was really in there. But it wasn't a spoiler, or maybe it was, but most of that stuff happens in the first chapter and then they talk about it throughout the rest of the book.**

**Also, since this chapter was really short, I'll update later this week, maybe on Friday. Stay tuned!  
**

**Rocka.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** So I'm updating this again this week because I updated on Tuesday, and I never update on Tuesday.

**Disclaimer: **Blah, blah, blah, I don't own Bleach. We all know this!

* * *

Orihime sat across from the bed and in a chair facing Ichigo.

Ichigo still held his arms but concentrated on her face and only her face. It slowly made the pain go away.

"Well… My mother… I don't really remember her. She neglected me, both my parents did… But she never really was around, and when she was, she always smelled like cigarettes and sex. She was, you know, the common whore."

Orihme cautiously looked up at Ichigo. His face contorted in pain.

"We really should get you to the hospital!" Orihime jumped up.

"No… no." Ichigo inhaled slowly then let it all back out. "Please continue."

Orihime eased back down in the chair. "My father, however was always around, or more accurately, he was either drinking or sleeping or smoking. You see, he was a drug addict…." Orihime stopped for a moment. "… Apparently he owed a lot of money to a lot of men, and he couldn't always pay them off… So one day…" Orihime looked out the window. The sun was at its peak and would be going down soon. "One day, he had my mother bathe me, and dress me all pretty." Orihime frowned. "I even remember the dress. It was a purple dress, with tiny beads around the collar."

_Orihime could feel her long, thin fingers rubbing against her scalp. It was the best sensation._

"_Mommy… where are we going?"_

"_We? It's you who's going."_

_Orihime looked up at her mother. "You aren't coming?"_

"_Just you and your daddy."_

_Her mother got up and left the room and came back with a purple garment._

"_Mommy!" Orihime jumped out the tub. "Is that for me?" she asked skeptically._

"_Brought it today with the last of my money." She lifted it up for her to see. "Now hurry up and get in it."_

_Orihime slipped the dress over her head and smiled. They didn't have a mirror in their rinky-dink bathroom, but Orihime knew the dress was beautiful._

_The girl felt the crisp collar and the beads that decorated it. They were sharp and slick with pointy edges. If she added enough pressure then the gems then they would surely break her skin. _

"_How do I look?"_

_Her licked her cracked lips and pushed her stringy hair out of her face. The woman got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "You are my greatest fortune..." she whispered._

Orihime didn't know what it meant then. She didn't even know what it meant now. Orihime never saw herself as a fortune.

"_Now get downstairs, your father is waiting."_

Ichigo watched as Orihime's fingers lightly touched her collar bone. "They stopped neglecting you?"

"No, no." Orihime looked away from the window. "But I thought they were finally starting to care, to take an interest…." She took a breath. "My father and me took a bus down town. He took me behind a building. It looked so smoky down there and… scary… And there was a man there too." Orihime finally looked him in the eyes. "My father handed me over to him for an exchange of drugs… I was only twelve."

"Orihime…"

"_Hurry up. We gonna be late!" Her father tugged on her arm and pulled her down the sidewalk._

_He had thick, strong hands. Calloused from working at a job he didn't do anymore._

_Orihime had never been out at that time of night and it was scaring her._

_Her father finally stopped the tugging and came to a stop at a corner._

_From the wall, a man stood and walked over to them._

_Orihime didn't listen to their conversation. Instead, she looked at the night sky, at the blinking stars. She wished she could twinkle just like the rest of them._

_A large hand came behind her back and pushed her forward to the man._

"_She's a good girl. Very obedient."_

_The man lifted a brow._

"_I swear she is."_

"_Daddy…?"_

"_Here…" They passed some things around and split._

"_Daddy…"_

_She watched him round the corner._

"_Daddy! Dad-" The man's hand came around her mouth. He bent down to her level and told her to stay quiet or he would kill her._

_Orihime reluctantly nodded._

"_You belong to me now. There's nothing you can do about it. Your father is gone."_

_Orihime nodded once more._

"I guess two week's supply of drugs was a lot then, but they must have realized that it wasn't worth it… Right?" Orihime shook her head. "I later found out that he and my mother died a few days later… I had no one."

Her hands began to tremble.

"Was the dealer… Was he the man at the diner?"

"No… But the dealer became my boss. He knew I was just a girl so he would never stoop so low to violate an innocent child. What he did have me do was far worse."

Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut. His arm still throbbed but surprisingly, the pain was subsiding. "What did he make you do?"

Orihime sighed heavily. "I helped him pay off debts…. He'd basically use me as bait to lure in his customers. It went on like that for five or six year. I lost track of time a long time age…."

"Six years…?"

"I wasn't there the whole time. When I earned enough I left him to find my own way, the right way. But sometimes I'd find myself in a jam and go back to him…"

"What was his name?"

Orihime's hands shook and she fisted them, praying they would stop it. "Sora. His name was Sora." She took a shaky breath. "I knew why he traded me… He knew what type of parents I had. He traded me because he knew I deserved better. He wanted a better life for the both of us!"

Orihime began to cry. She stood and walked over to the window and looked out at the setting sun. "The only reason he sold drugs was to get by. He wasn't a bad person… He wasn't a bad person."

Ichigo painfully rose and walked over to her. He slowly placed his good arm on her shoulder, afraid of her sharp reflexives.

Orihime turned around and sobbed into his shirt. It had been so long since she felt like this. She never told anyone about Sora. She never told anybody anything.

"Orihime… it's over now. Isn't it?" He leaned back to see her face. "You left. You're free from him."

Orihime shook her head. "It's not him I'm scared of. There's a man… a monster that took him from me. He took Sora from me…"

Ichigo guided them back to the bed, and waited for her to continue. "I was helping him with some customers. I was trying to pull them into the alley, where Sora and a few men were was waiting...,"

"_If you all would just come with me, this way…." Orihime bit her lip as seductively as she could with throwing up._

_The first one rubbed his hand down her back. "Why in an alleyway?"_

_Orihime grabbed hold of both of their shirts and pulled them back into the shadows. "I like it like that."_

_The two men snickered._

"...And then all I heard was this ringing in my ear, and loud pops, and I realized that they were gunshots... But it was too late..."

_The second one jolted and fell back, and in seconds the other was down._

"_Get down!" she heard Sora yell._

_Orihime scooted into a corner between a foul smelling dumpster and a old, dirty mattress and covered her ears from the loud blast._

_Bright sparks of light flashed over and over again. The sounds of dead bodies falling to the ground rung in her ears._

_Though Orihime was no stranger to dead bodies, she had never seen someone die before her eyes._

_Watching Sora fall to the ground, the blood slowly seeping through the back of his shirt was a sight she hoped never to see._

_Orihime wanted to scream to yell and kick and run to him. But she stayed put. Her mouth was nailed shut. She knew the deal._

"It was a shoot out and he died. My only friend…, a brother even. That was when _he_ found me."

_Shoes walked down the alley, clanking on the wet ground._

_They shot the dead bodies, and anything that moved._

_Orihime made herself as small as she could._

"_Boss!"_

_A flashlight was shone on her face, blinding her from the person holding it._

"_What do we do with this one?"_

_She felt their presence, but couldn't make them out._

"_Boss?"_

"_Bring her."_

_Thick hands grabbed her off the wet ground. The flashlights were off her face but her eyes still had a problem adjusting to the dark._

"_Where are you taking me?"_

_They lead her out into the street and over into a car. Before she got in, a painful thump sounded on the back of her head. She closed her eyes and let her head drop._

"All I remember after that is waking up in a giant bedroom. He took me under his wing and we lived in the biggest, cleanest house I'd ever seen. I was about eighteen by then, and that was two years ago." Orihime frowned. "Then one night, days after the shoot out, he called me into his room and…" the woman took a breath, "and he…h-he…."

_Orihime opened the door and peeked inside._

"_Hello."_

"_Oh! I didn't see you there. Was I supposed to knock…?"_

_Aizen stood by the fireplace, his arm resting on the mantelpiece. "Come here."_

_Orihime strode across the room until she was a few feet from him._

"_Have you been enjoying your time here?"_

_Orihime nodded. "Yes, Aizen-sama."_

"_And has it met your criteria?"_

_Orihime wrinkled her nose at the word._

_Aizen smirked. "Your approval?"_

"_Oh!" Orihime nodded vigorously. "Yes. Greatly."_

_Aizen pushed off the mantel and placed a hand on her shoulder._

"_You know, I could have had you killed."_

_Orihime lowered her gray eyes. "_..._Yes, I know."_

"_But I didn't." he moved closer and moved his hand up to her cheek. "I saw more in you. A fire."_

_He took a step forward, and she a step back. "Aizen…"_

_Aizen's advance didn't stop until their bodies melded together. "I want to burn in it. I want to be engulfed by your flame." His chocolate eyes blazed._

"_-sama…"_

_Aizen pushed her back completely, until they tumbled onto the bed. He gave her scorching kisses up her neck, her jaw, until he came to her lips._

_Orihime broke it off. "What are you doing?"_

"_Burn with me, Orihime."_

_Aizen saw the fear in her eyes. She was new to this._

_He caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'll be gentle. I promise..."_

"The things I let him do to me…" she shook her head and lowered her eyes. "I'm so ashamed."

Orihime looked up at him to see if his expression changed, instead disgust, it was soft, understanding almost.

Ichigo stared at her. "Orihime. I'm so sorry"

She furrowed her brow. "Why are you sorry?"

"It's just…"

"Sad. I know." She let her locks of burnt-orange hair tumble to her sides, cover her face. "After that I thought that I would be okay… But it wasn't. It got worse. His needs soon became sadism… and I couldn't do it anymore." Orihime took a deep breath. "I ran away, but he found me. And he beat me, again and again. This is my third time trying to leave."

Ichigo's amber eyes widened. "He beat you?" Ichigo would never, never ever dream of putting his hands on a woman like that.

Orihime nodded. "I couldn't get away. I left again and I though he had given up on me. But yesterday-"

"The man at the diner?"

"Ulquiorra, his confidant, told me that he knew where I was…" Orihime looked up to see his face, "and he knows about you."

"Me?!"

Orihime grabbed hold of his arm. "He said I can go back to him tonight or they'd take you."

Ichigo looked behind him at the bag with cloths spilling out of it. "How do I know that this, all of this is the truth?"

"You don't believe me?" Her hand dropped from his arm.

"No! I just-I wasn't-"

Orihime slowly rose and stood in front of Ichigo. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slowly pulled it over her head.

Ichigo lifted his hand and covered his eyes from her shirtless body. "What are you doing?!"

Her hand gently pushed his down. She turned her back to him and unbuckled her bra. It fell to the floor and Ichigo finally looked up and saw her.

She had scars running all along her back. Up and down in different sizes and curves. She could not have done them to herself.

"Do you believe me now?" he heard her whisper.

* * *

**So we have one more chapter left! It isn't going to be pretty... I've decided that I'll update the last chapter on the 7th so that Forgotten will go up on the 8th! Yeah!**

**Rocka.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter is really long, or, in a way, average sized. I'm used to writing long chapters (about 3,000- 4,000 words) so I apologize for the previous ones being so short.**

**P.S. Guest, **I added those songs to my ipod. I'm always inspired by music! I can't stop listening to "**Face down**" or "**I just wanna run**"! Thanks!

**Disclaimer: I no own Bleach!**

* * *

"Here…" Ichigo picked up her bra and handed it to her. He turned away while she put it back on.

Orihime slipped back on her shirt. "Will you help me pack?"

Ichigo spun around. "You're really going back to him?"

"What else can I do? Aizen doesn't believe in mercy… he'll kill you…"

Ichigo grabbed her forearms. "We can find you a way out. You don't have to go back."

"If I go back then maybe he won't hurt me… Maybe he'll treat me better." Tears began to fall out of her eyes all over again.

"You can't think like that." He shook her back and forth. "Do you really want to go back to that abuse?"

"But Ichigo!" She dropped her eyes from his intense gaze. "It's the only thing I know!"

He placed her back on the bed so she could calm down. The sun had completely disappeared and he knew that they were reaching the deadline. But it didn't matter. He refused to let her go back.

Ichigo patted her hair and rubbed arms to try and soothe her. "Orihime, I'll protect you. They aren't coming back. I promise"

Orihime wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close and Ichigo rubbed her back up and down.

"I'll protect you," he murmured into her hair.

Orihime leaned back to look at his face. She moved her hand from his neck and caressed his cheek. "No one has ever said that to me before…" Orihime pushed forward and kissed him softly on the lips. Then she went in again, this time deeper.

Ichigo didn't know what she was doing; he didn't even know what he was doing. She was soon sitting on top of him, kissing him, pulling the shirt up and over his head.

Orihime had this look on her face. Like she was concentrating, like if she made one wrong move, one thing differently, she'd be punished.

Everything was mechanical… timed just right.

Orihime pulled her shirt over her head. Her hands rubbed up and down his sculpted bare chest, just the way she knew _he_ liked it. Though not as built as _his'_, it was enough to make any woman lose her mind. Orihime pushed her lips against his cheeks neck and made her way back up to his lips, careful to kiss him just the way _he_ would like it.

Ichigo kissed her back, he never completely thought about kissing her, but now that he was, he couldn't stop.

Until she came to his pants.

Orihime began to unbutton his pants and pull down the zipper when a hand stopped her.

"Don't." he growled.

Ichigo was no virgin. But he knew better not to take advantage of this girl.

Orihime looked up at him, but didn't stop her advances. "You don't like this…" she mumbled over his chest.

He took a deep breath and pushed on her shoulders, willing her to get off. "No… I just… stop, please."

Orihime sat up, a horrified look on her face. "I'm sorry… It's all so routine… I'm so use to…."

Ichigo sat up too. "It's okay…"

"It's not okay! I'm just a whore, a plaything… No one cares about me…"

"I care about you." Ichigo lifted her chin. "That's why I won't let you do this."

Orihime looked down. She was so ashamed of herself. Aizen liked it a certain way… his way. She didn't know what had come over her; she didn't realize what she was doing.

Ichigo caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. "I don't blame you…"

"Do you… do you believe in love? Do you really think there's such a thing?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Then that makes two of us…"

This time around, Ichigo swooped down and kissed her.

She didn't know what to do at first, and then her hands took control again, over his bare back and loosening his pants.

It was like she was having sex for the first time again. It was… _passionate_. She felt him. Felt him all over. On her, on top of her, next to her, inside of her. He was everywhere, but yet she couldn't get enough of him.

And Ichigo had never wanted to give someone love so badly. And he never knew that needed love equally. All his life he gave, but this time, he was both _the taker_ and _the receiver._

All their lives they only wanted something to hold on to. And that night, they clung to each other like never before…

**…**

Orihime cracked open one eye then the next. Her whole body felt loose, relaxed and heavy, the way it should feel after making love.

She stared at the ceiling and smiled. This is what it feels like. It feels like euphoria.

Orihime closed her eyes again and saw _him_. He would never go away… Not until she destroyed him.

Orihime pushed off of the bed. She put back on her cloths and tip toed across the room and picked up her bag of clothes.

Orihime grabbed her book and on the floor was the blade of the letter opener. Orihime picked it up and stuffed it in her sleeve.

She looked behind her at the sleeping Ichigo.

"I'm so sorry… But I have to protect you…"

**…**

"Excuse me… Excuse me, sir…" Orihime walked over to the old man sitting on the bench. "Excuse me, could you tell how to get to the intersection?"

The old man opened an eye. She didn't mean to wake him. He yawned and Orihime held her breath.

"I believe it's 'bout two miles thataway." He point north. "Take ya 'bout thirty minutes if ya walking."

"Thanking," Orihime whispered and kept walking.

The bum was right; it took her just about a half an hour for her to finally reach the dirt path intersection.

She stepped upon tiny rocks and gravel, the sides of the road consisting of dry shrubs and tall, thick trees.

The darkness was thick and she took her time walking until she was in the middle of the four roads.

"Hello!" she shouted into the darkness. "Is anyone here…?!"

"We weren't sure you were going to show…" Orihime jumped at Ulquiorra's voice as he came out from the shadows.

"Well…" Orihime held her bag tightly. "I here…"

"Is anyone with you?"

Orihime briefly thought of Ichigo sleeping peacefully. When he woke she was far gone.

"….No."

"Aizen has been waiting for you."

Head lights flickered on and Orihime shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness.

Two cars came driving down the road the left road.

They parked, and out of the first one came two brawny looking men Orihime had never seen before.

In the other car, on foot after the other, walked out the dangerous man.

Outside, beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. Inside, evil and twisted.

"…Aizen…"

**…**

Ichigo inhaled deeply. God, she smelled wonderful. "You smell beautiful…" he whispered.

Ichigo placed a hand next to him to rub her back, but all he felt was air.

He opened his eyes.

She wasn't there.

Ichigo growled. "Fuck."

She left. She left to go back to him.

He wasn't going to let that happen.

Ichigo threw his cloths and ran to his apartment. In the cabinet, in an oatmeal container, he kept a gun in case of emergencies.

He grabbed it and stormed out the building

He jogged down the road in a direction he hoped she took. "I can't believe she would do this…"

"People'll think ya crazy if ya talk to ya'self like that!" A man yelled from the bench.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks. "Hey! Old man! Did you see a woman… Long orange hair, maybe and bag and a book.

"Yeah, yeah, I've seen her… she asked me fer instructions…"

Ichigo walked closer to the bum. "To where?"

"The intersection- few miles away..."

"… Thank you!" Ichigo ran down the street, praying that he would make it in time.

**…**

"…Aizen... Aizen-sama, I'm so sorry…"

Aizen walked over to her and held her face up to his'. "You are so beautiful."

She winkled her brow. Wasn't he supposed to be mad?

"Aren't you going to hit me…?"

He lifted his hand to her face and she flinched, but instead of feeling pain, she felt his hand run down her cheek to her breast. "Now why would I hurt such an exquisite creature as you?"

"I…I ran away… I left again… You're supposed to beat me…"

"Is that what you think of me?" Aizen smirked. "Some bloodthirsty monster that only wants to hurt you…?"

Orihime bit her lip.

His eyes crinkled a little at the sides and he chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll get to that. But right now, we have a guest."

Orihime looked behind her, and out of the dry bushes and shrubs, the two brawny men dragged out an all too familiar orange haired man.

"Ichigo..." Orihime took a step forward but Aizen's strong hand yanked her arm back.

"This is your new friend, isn't it?"

Orihime looked up at Aizen with pleading eyes. "Don't hurt him, please! Please don't hurt him, I'm begging you!"

"Save your voice." He brushed the back of his hand on her face, she recoiled. "You'll be doing much more begging later…."

The two brawny men searched through his clothes and pulled out a gun from his back pocket. They pushed Ichigo to the ground. "Look what we found, Boss!"

Ulquiorra came behind Orihime and held her arms. "Ichigo! Ichigo, please! Run!"

Aizen walked over and took the gun, inspected it, then gave it back to the first one.

He shrugged off his jacket and handed to the second and rolled up the sleeves on his crisp cream shirt.

"I'll give you a fighting chance for your life, boy." Aizen circled around the man on the ground. "Get on your feet."

Ichigo jumped to his feet and put up his fist.

Aizen smirked. The boy didn't have a chance and he knew it.

"Please, Ichigo… go…"

It started out fast. Ichigo swung and Aizen dodged, giving him the perfect time to strike.

Orihime didn't know how it happened, but there was the sound of bone cracking and screaming coming from Ichigo's end.

"Yeah, yeah, get 'em boss! Get 'em!"

Aizen stood over Ichigo and repeatedly pounded his face in.

"Please! Stop this! Aizen, he's had enough!"

The sadistic man smiled and stood after a few more kicks and punches. He wiped his nose with the back of his arm. Aizen looked down at his bloodied attire. "You got my new shirt dirty."

Orihime watched as Ichigo laid on the ground gasping for breath.

"Ichigo… Ichigo, get up! Go!"

Aizen turned around to his men and slipped his jacket back on. He took the gun from the other.

The man stood back over to Ichigo and shot him multiple times in various places.

"Nooo!" Orihime screamed from the top of her lungs.

"Let him bleed out." Aizen tucked Ichigo's gun in his jacket's pocket. "Let's go."

**…**

Orihime sat as far away from him as she possibly could, pushing against the car door while he watched her with an amused face.

"Are you scared of me?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

She didn't respond.

Aizen moved closer to her. "You have no reason to be scared. I won't hurt you." He leaned in and kissed her deeply.

Orihime broke the kiss off. "…you won't?"

"Of course not. I only want to please you." His hand roamed through her burnt-orange hair. "That's all I wanted from the beginning." Suddenly, his hand was around her throat, squeezing tightly. Orihime tried to pry his fingers off, but he was too strong.

It was like a constant circle. The never ending loop which she was the center of. She was tired of being the center of that circle. Things were going to change.

Orihime lifted her leg and kick him in the stomach.

He gasped but didn't release his hold, through the shock of it all made his grip loosen just enough for her to break free.

Orihime kicked him again, this time in the face.

She didn't stop there.

Aizen groaned and looked up. "You're going to pay…" His face was red all over, the left side oozing blood from various cuts courtesy of the bottom of her shoe.

Aizen grabbed her leg before she could strike again. He pulled her under him and pinned her to the back seat. He slapped her across the face until he felt liquid under his hand. Blood.

He leaned back, and Orihime found her opportunity.

She slipped the letter opener from under her sleeve and stabbed him in the neck from the side.

Aizen choked and stumbled back. He closed his eyes and slowly pulled the blade from his neck.

Orihime watched in terror.

He almost had the blade completely out when the gun in his jacket caught Orihime's eye.

She tugged it out of its pocket and shot it three times at the terrible man.

The car stopped.

She heard Ulquiorra walk out of the car and over to her side. He opened the door and before she could even see his face, she shot at him five times.

The woman stumbled out of the car and over Ulquiorra's dead body.

She began to run.

She ran and didn't stop, wouldn't stop.

Not until she reached Ichigo.

**…**

Ichigo coughed some more but only for the blood to come gargling back up then choking him on the way down.

He tried. He tried, didn't he?

"_Ichigo! Ichigo!"_

He could almost hear her call for him.

"_Ichigo! I-chi-go!"_

Ichigo swallowed. The voice was getting closer. "… Orihime…?" He tried to lift himself up but it was too painful.

Her footsteps were getting closer against the gravel and dirt.

"Ichigo!" Orihime fell to the ground at his mangled body. She dropped the gun on the ground and held his face. "Ichigo, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault… you should have never came here…"

"I… wasn't… going… to let… them… take you again," he said as hurriedly as he could.

"We can get you back to the town…" Orihime looked at the gunshots in his stomach and her heart dropped. "You just have to keep breathing…"

Orihime tried to lift him up but her yelped and pushed her hands away. "Don't… just keep… talking…" The sun was coming up and Ichigo could just catch a glimpse of its sweet light. "…It's… soothing…"

The woman looked at his body up in down. There was no way they were going to make it. She took a deep breath and looked him in his fading eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me… something… good… that happened… to you… An event or something…." He gasped out the last bit and cough out more sticky, red fluid.

"The greatest thing that happened to me was meeting you… And I need to get you help."

Ichigo lifted his fingers to her lips. "Shh…" He looked up at the sky, at the stars which were slowly disappearing against the sun's rays, then back over at her. "I never felt the way I feel for you for anyone else…"

Orihime squeezed his hand. "…Does that mean what I think it means…?"

"I don't know…" Ichigo's eyes were going in and out of focus, his breath speeding and slowing down.

"Well, that makes two of us…"

Ichigo smiled up at her. He placed his cold, red stained hand on her cheek. She held it there. His hand went limp and cold, his fingers, lifeless.

Orihime watched the light leave from his amber eyes.

"Don't go…. Please…" she whispered in a last attempt.

Orihime's body sagged.

She was just tired… and frustrated… and sad… especially sad.

Orihime picked up the gun lying next to her.

She opened her mouth wide and placed the gun upward in her mouth.

…And pulled the trigger.

* * *

What is love?

Does it envelop you like fire? Or does it suck the heat from your body like dry ice?

What is love?

Is it a touch? The way one lover's hand feels against the other's?

Or what about the lips? Is it a taste? A unique flavor that only two could ever identify?

How about words. Is it proclaiming love to another enough? Hearing it?

How?

Please… tell me…

What is love…?

* * *

Her body fell backwards.

Orihime's eyes, once burned and filled to the brim with fire, turned back into their smoky gray soot and fizzled out.

* * *

**So there's the ending! I know, sad. But it says TRAGEDY, people! This story is honestly just a pastime so I could work on Forgotten some more. Since all of this is over, we can now get on with our favorite couple and their scandalous lives which will be up tomorrow.**

**Rocka.**

**P.S. I wrote an alternate ending, if you want, I'll post it. Though not as tragic, I think it's an ending that'll make everyone happy.**


	6. Alternate Ending

**A/N: Here's the alternate ending that you all wanted! I'm very glad that you asked for it because I didn't want the story to end as a kind of Romeo and Juliet-esque thing. The star-crossed lovers aren't really my taste.**

**Oh, I almost forgot! This story was actually also inspired by the song **Broken**, by the **Gorillaz**. They are one of my favorite bands and the song is very mellow and easy going but has a powerful message.**

**Disclaimer: I will never own Bleach, but to ease this pain, I am writing fanfictions for your enjoyment!**

* * *

Ichigo coughed some more but only for the blood to come gargling back up then choking him on the way down.

He tried. He tried, didn't he?

"_Ichigo! Ichigo!"_

He could almost hear her call for him.

"_Ichigo! I-chi-go!"_

Ichigo swallowed. The voice was getting closer. "… Orihime…?" He tried to lift himself up but it was too painful.

Her footsteps were getting closer against the gravel and dirt.

"Ichigo!" Orihime fell to the ground at his mangled body. She dropped the gun on the ground and held his face. "Ichigo, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault… you should have never came here…"

"I… wasn't… going… to let… them… take you again," he said as hurriedly as he could.

"We can get you back to the town…" Orihime looked at the gunshots in his stomach and her heart dropped. "You just have to keep breathing…"

Orihime tried to lift him up but her yelped and pushed her hands away. "Don't… just keep… talking…" The sun was coming up and Ichigo could just catch a glimpse of its sweet light. "…It's… soothing…"

The woman looked at his body up in down. There was no way they were going to make it. She took a deep breath and looked him in his fading eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me… something… good… that happened… to you… An event or something…." He gasped out the last bit and cough out more sticky, red fluid.

"The greatest thing that happened to me was meeting you… And I need to get you help."

Ichigo lifted his fingers to her lips. "Shh…" He looked up at the sky, at the stars which were slowly disappearing against the sun's rays, then back over at her. "I never felt the way I feel for you for anyone else…"

Orihime squeezed his hand. "…Does that mean what I think it means…?"

"I don't know…" Ichigo's eyes were going in and out of focus, his breath speeding and slowing down.

"Well, that makes two of us…"

Ichigo smiled up at her. He placed his cold, red stained hand on her cheek. She held it there. His hand went limp and cold, his fingers, lifeless.

Orihime watched the light leave from his amber eyes.

"Don't go…. Please…" she whispered in a last attempt.

Orihime's body sagged.

She was just tired… and frustrated… and sad… especially sad.

Orihime picked up the gun lying next to her.

She opened her mouth wide and placed the gun upward in her mouth.

…And pulled the trigger.

_Click._

_Click, click._

Orihime looked down at the down hopelessly. There were no more bullets.

"...No… it's not fair…" she whispered.

Orihime got up on her feet.

She looked at Ichigo's lifeless body once more, and walked down the dirt road.

**…**

Orihime walked down the station, a smile on her face.

She walked up to the front desk and rung the tiny bell. The station clerk looked up from his paper and smiled. "What can I do for you today, ma'am?"

"Can I have one ticket to Tokyo, please?" Orihime gave him the money.

The desk clerk smiled his toothy grin and slid the ticket through the glass hole.

The orange haired beauty walked through the station and sat down at one of the diner seats.

Orihime opened her favorite book and turned to her most memorized page. But before she could read a single word, she smiled and closed the book. Orihime pushed it to the side and left it there.

She was going to leave it there just the way she was leaving her old life.

Orihime no longer needed to escape to a world of words because she didn't need to. She left on her own and was now walking into a new life.

It was time to truely live instead of dream.

The loudspeaker called for her train and Orihime stood. She lifted her bags and turned around and gasped.

Ulquiorra was standing in front of her.

His face was just as stoic as always. He didn't look any different except for the slightly noticeble cut on his forehead.

Orihime's hands trembled but she held onto her bag to make them less noticeable.

"I…" She swallowed and tried again. "I thought you were dead…"

He didn't respond.

Orihime took a deep breath and walked past him.

His hand reached out and he fisted a wad of her hair. Orihime cried out at the sudden pain.

People walked by but no one seemed to notice them.

Orihime closed her eyes, waiting for a strike to come, but it didn't.

He tugged once more and Orihime whimpered.

The anticipation was excruciating. How could he let her wait this long for the pain? How evil could one man be?

Suddenly, his hands became looser and his fingers weaved their way through her long hair.

Although his grip loosened, she still wasn't able to get away.

Orihime craned her head to look up at the pale man. "… Let me go…" she whispered.

Ulquiorra took in her face features. She looked better… healthier. But she wasn't asking him, she was demanding him.

"I said, let. Me. Go." Orihime repeated.

After a beat of silence, his hand finally dropped and Orihime could finally feel the ball and chain breaking.

Orihime didn't watch him walk away. She was too busy with moving on.

The woman entered the train and sat down by the window.

A few minutes later they were off and she was riding. Riding through the wind and pass the trees and buildings and everything else.

She was free.

She was finally free.

Orihime closed her heavy eyes and rested her head against the window.

"Thank you, Ichigo." she whispered.

A smile slowly played on her lips.

* * *

**There's the ending! When I thought up the story I originally imagined them both dying. But now that I think about it, the alternate ending seems much better.**

**So which did you like better?**

**Oh, and Forgotten is up tonight! Hope you all read!**

**Rocka.**


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